§ Lieut.-Colonel Sharpasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the procedure which should be adopted by local authorities who are anxious to prevent the recurrence of serious river flooding in their areas; and at what stage his Department will give expert advice and consider giving financial assistance towards the cost of the work involved.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsWhere the watercourse in question is the responsibility of a catchment board or drainage board, approach should be made to that Board. Where no such board exists approach should be made to the county council which is in this case the drainage authority under the Land Drainage Act, 1930. The advice of the Ministry's engineers is readily available to the staffs of all drainage authorities at any time when required. Financial assistance in the form of grant-aid towards the cost of approved works is available to catchment boards under the Land Drainage Act, 1930, and to other drainage authorities under the Agriculture Act, 1937.